Hidden Affection
by ChloeLoveee
Summary: He wanted to tell Edward to get out, to tell him that he was being ridiculous, that he shouldn't have to explain his personal life to a teenage boy, to tell him no such feelings existed between him and his subordinate. But he would be lying for the most part. Ed had seen the colonel's feelings, and he was now watching Bradley effortlessly use them against him.


The office was empty now. The emptiness was almost eerie, there was a feathery feeling that there was something wrong, some potential danger that could be forming, something no one really knew about. In truth, there was, but nothing could be done about it yet. Roy sighed, raking his gaze over the unoccupied desks surrounding his once more. Roy knew he wasn't as devastated as Bradley hoped he had been about his subordinates being sent to the far corners of Amestris. The colonel knew they could all take care of themselves just fine, and if they were out of Central and away from direct danger, then their separation was merely an annoyance since it would be harder to plot a way to disrupt whatever plan the Homunculi had in store without his loyal team.

Roy looked down at his clasped hands and sighed. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Sighed when Havoc told him to go on and leave him behind, to keep moving forward. Sighed when Edward told Roy to leave the fight against Gluttony, that he was injured and would just get in the way. Sighed when the door gently clicked shut behind his lieutenant as she finished collecting her things from his office, knowing she was on her way to work under the Füher now, and she wasn't coming back for a while. His sigh had been a lot heavier then.

The thought of his dear lieutenant made his gaze snap to the door. It was a hopeless wish, but he wanted this to be just a cruel joke, and that she would walk in the door, holding a small stack of papers waiting to be signed, a lively, teasing glint in her eye when she looked at him, only him, and no one else.

Roy let his eyes close out of weariness and a little woe. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the door slammed open. A warm hope bloomed in his chest-or was it adrenaline?- as he gazed upon the blonde hair, but his shoulders slumped slightly as he took in the rest of his visitors appearance. He straightened his posture and greeted his guest, who was now fuming right in front of his desk. "Fullmetal. What brings you here?"

Edward was mad. Not exactly shaking with the violent anger like he's done so many times before, but close to it, Roy observed. Ed narrowed his eyes fiercely at the colonel, though the anger was not fully directed at him. "How could you be so casual right now?! We need to do something about that bastard and how he's holding everyone hostage!"

Roy felt a twinge of annoyance at the young alchemist. "Do you _ever_ think Fullmetal?" He spoke with a calm voice, though the irritation was present. Ed stiffened, a sharp retort working its way up, but Roy silenced him with a hard look. He was tired. He didn't need Edward's irrelevant tantrum taking up his time when he was trying to think of a way to solve _everything_.

"What made you think that charging into my office and demanding a plan could somehow change our situation and save our friends right away?" He stood up and turned away from him, facing the window, glaring against the sunlight and feeling Edward's furious stare bore into the back of his head. He didn't care. "You should know better than that Fullmetal. That was a childish move, and given the circumstances, you don't have the luxury of behaving like a child anymore. Leave it alone for now."

Edward's fists balled up by his sides. Roy didn't need to look to know this, as the protesting squeak of automail gears gave him whatever information he needed to know. It took a moment for Ed to speak again, trying to form a response as thoughts were racing across his mind so fast he thought he might faint. "It's like you don't even care," He spoke in an intense whisper. "Does any of this even matter to you? Do you care that your subordinates were taken from you? Falman? Breda?" Edward's voice began to escalate, and as it did his words began approaching a line that not many people had dared to cross with the colonel.

"With you're cavalier attitude, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone was right about you," Ed was shouting now, growing a sick sense of satisfaction as he watched the colonel tense slightly with every word. He knew he was getting under his skin, it was a bad idea, but he didn't care. "Do you care about _anyone _other than your goddamn self? Do you even care about Hawkeye?"

Roy whipped around and grabbed Edward by his collar. He yanked the teen up from the ground with surprising strength that Edward suddenly remembered that Roy _was _a prized State Alchemist for a reason, and he was a force to be reckoned with. The colonel did nothing, but stare at Ed in pure anger, desperately holding back from throwing the tiny alchemist across the room. Only a few moments after he grabbed him, Roy dropped Ed back to his feet and collapsed into his chair, exhausted.

"Forgive my behavior, Fullmetal," Mustang clasped his hands and looked at Edward, who seemed to still be figuring out how he should react. "But you treaded into territory that was quite sensitive. The subject of my relationship with Hawkeye is…," Roy paused, trying to find a phrase that wouldn't give too much away to Fullmetal. "…delicate. I suggest you leave it out of your careless rants in the future." He finished firmly.

Ed narrowed his eyes, though no scathing remark immediately came to mind. Roy looked down into his hands and spoke softly, once again throwing Edward off guard. Something else he was doing a lot lately. "Of course I care about Hawkeye." There was far away look in his eyes, and Edward wondered if he knew that he was talking out loud. "I've cared about her for years. Do you not understand it kills me that she's been taken from my side, that I can no longer protect her?"

"You love her, don't you?" Edward asked after a moment, although it sounded more like a gentle accusation than a question. Roy didn't so much as blink. He didn't know what he should say to that. He wanted to tell Edward to get out, to tell him that he was being ridiculous, that he shouldn't have to explain his personal life to a teenage boy, to tell him no such feelings existed between him and his subordinate. But he would be lying for the most part. Ed had seen the colonel's feelings, and they were so strong that he was now watching Bradley effortlessly use them against him.

Instead of some long speech of his dedication to Riza Hawkeye, his unending affection that was fueling his motivation to make it to the top just so he could marry the woman he loved, Roy closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "I do love her," he murmured. "So much."

It was no surprise to Ed, although once again, he was unable to summon words. "Now Elric," The colonel opened his eyes, resuming his firm demeanor Ed was used to, and he knew that the rare moment of openly discussed intimacy was over. "I do believe you have property of the lieutenant that she would like to be returned."

Ed knew he was talking about the gun, and with purpose, he nodded. "See you later colonel. Try to stay alive," He added, trying to lighten the mood a bit as he slipped through the door. Then he was gone.

* * *

**This fic bothers me. I've been trying to get it to flow right and this is the best I could do. It came into my head as an amazing idea and then this mess came out. I couldn't even get a good title in my head. But I felt like I could capture their personalities with this idea pretty well, even though Ed is a teensy bit OOC, being as argumentative as he was. Gah. Sorry. But review anyways? It makes me very happy.**

**With Love,**

**ChloeLoveee**


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